


Desideratum

by ikigai (fencingfox)



Series: P/T Word of the Day [14]
Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Episode: s06e10 Pathfinder, F/M, One Word Prompts, Wordcount: 500-1.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-08
Updated: 2020-02-08
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:20:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22596205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fencingfox/pseuds/ikigai
Summary: nounsomething that is needed or wanted
Relationships: Tom Paris/B'Elanna Torres
Series: P/T Word of the Day [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1613410
Comments: 4
Kudos: 12





	Desideratum

"Oh, hey," B'Elanna said with a smile as Tom drifted into the bedroom nook. "I thought you had to work late?"

Tom shook his head as he sat on the bed, pulling off his socks and tossing them toward the replicator. Odd. He normally put those away. B'Elanna set down the report she'd decided to skim to stay awake. Something felt wrong.

"Tom?"

He hunched forward, sighed, and dropped his hands into his lap, "My father was on the call from Pathfinder." Now she understood.

"I'm sure whatever he said he didn't mean it."

Tom twisted out of his uniform jacket and turtleneck. The words came through muffled by his undershirt, "He said he was proud of me and he missed me." He slipped down his uniform pants and lay back beside B'Elanna.

"I take that back then." Though it was usually the case that Tom would lay on his back and B'Elanna would rest her head on his shoulder, she felt he needed more. She rolled to her side and opened her arms for him. He tucked his head under her chin, rested one hand on her waist and folded the other between them. She stroked his hair and, even though she rarely did it, she kissed the top of his head.

B'Elanna woke up curled against Tom's front. She didn't recall changing positions, but she wasn't surprised. Tom couldn't have been comfortable scrunched up in her arms for long. She shifted to face him, moving so as not to jostle the bed. She gladly gazed at his still sleeping expression.

B'Elanna didn't know everything about his childhood. She knew only he and his father never got along. She was always aware of her own feelings about her parents. How could she have thought Tom's experience was any different?

He needed something from her; that much she knew. Some sort of validation? Some sort of support? Some sort of affection? B'Elanna tried to imagine what she'd want if her mother had been on the call and told her she was proud of her and missed her.

It helped her understand, though her sudden desire to be closer to Tom didn't help him. He stirred when she tried wedging herself under his chin.

"B'Elanna?" He croaked.

"Good morning," she forced cheerfully.

"Good morning," he sounded confused.

"Did you have any dreams?" She averted as Tom wound himself around her more securely.

"One. You?"

"I didn't dream." She snuck her arm around his waist and traced lazy repetitive sweeps over his shoulder blade. "What was yours?"

"It was reliving yesterday on the bridge. Thinking about what I'd say if I could say anything."

"You didn't speak to him?"

He shook his head, "No." He huffed a laugh, "Protocol. Maybe that's what he was proud of. Dangling his concern in front of everyone and my not saying anything to refute it."

She hoped her hand was comforting. "You don't believe him?"

"I don't know what to believe. I lived so long with his disappointment. This...admission seems completely left field."

"I'd be disoriented too if my mother said those things."

"Yeah."

After the silence stretched long and soothing, B'Elanna asked, "Do you want to see him again?" She felt Tom shrug.

"I don't want to think about it. If we get home quickly he'll probably be on the welcoming committee." Quickly. That was the operative term. She had her own doubts about whether her mother was still alive. "What does your day look like today?"

B'Elanna's attention snapped back to Tom. She pressed a kiss up to his jaw. He tilted his head down so they could meet lips, sweetly, like water over rocks. He hugged her closer when their lips parted.

"I start beta today remember?"

"Right, well," He shifted a little, hesitated, squeezed her again while she squeezed back. "I have alpha on conn." He extricated himself from the bed, lingering for another soft kiss. After a moment, B'Elanna joined him for getting dressed into comfortable civvies.

"Breakfast?" She asked.

"Breakfast will make me late."

She tried to hide her disappointment. "Okay. Don't be late."

"Thanks." Tom stepped closer for another kiss. "I love you."

B'Elanna smiled. "I love you, more."

He gave her an inquisitive look, "Getting sappy on me?"

She laughed, "No, just thought you wanted to hear it." His smile stretched wide and B'Elanna knew she said the right thing. She tipped onto her toes to give him one last kiss.

"Okay, okay," He stepped back, moving toward the door. "I really need to go. I'll see you for dinner?" She could take her break for dinner with him easily.

"Sure, Tom."

"Holodeck?" He asked as he lingered in the doorframe.

"We have a slot?"

"We do as of yesterday evening. Harry gave me it."

"I'll meet you there." Tom left. B'Elanna had an idea.

The holodeck program buzzed around her head all shift until she could leave for dinner. She arrived at Holodeck Two first, selected her program, and entered. It had taken hours to do. Lucky for her, Tom had actually done most of it without realizing.

B'Elanna stood on the shore of an expanded Lake Como. From her side, she couldn't see any other shore. It was like this nearly everywhere. She took the large ship from a program in the database. It was a cruise ship in design: large, imposing, but nearly empty. She thought Tom might like sailing it around their "ocean".

"Wow," she heard Tom breathe from behind her. B'Elanna turned around, smiling.

"You like it?"

"I _love_ it. You did this when I was working?"

She shrugged as Tom circled her back with an arm and led them down the boardwalk to the ship. "It's the Lake Como program with some modifications."

"Did you save it?"

"I did."

"Wow," he said again once they reached the dock. He laughed, "Maybe you do love me more."

She laughed, looping her arms around his neck. "I'm up for a contest. You?"

"Definitely."


End file.
